1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a portable battery powered microprocessor controlled golf training and practice system with digital readouts for ball carry and also the distance, to the right or left of a straight drive, hereby defined as deviation.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many systems available to the golfer help develop his posture, swing and other requisites of a good golf game. Some of these systems require that the golfer wear some physical restraining devices to help in developing a proper swing. Other systems give a digital readout of the ball carry only.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,469 has a central processing unit for calculating the statistical carry based on the speed of the golf club. The golf club does not actually strike a golf ball and therefore the golfer does not experience the feel of the club reaction to a struck ball. This system is not applicable when using a putter. In addition there is no numerical indication of the deviation that results from a slice or hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,829 has a rather expensive portable unit that displays either on a printer or digital readout the club head speed and the elapsed swing time. This patent has limitations similar to the above patent. That is, no ball is actually struck. The statistical distance can be either printed or indicated on a digital readout. In this patent there is no indication of the ball deviation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,552 uses a tethered ball attached to a mechanical meter that indicates approximately the ball travel and expected angle of travel. The distance is a function of the pull on an elastic by the struck golf ball. The angle of direction of travel is registered by a horizontal arm about a vertical axis. Rubber bands exert the restraining forces, for both the ball travel indicator and angle measurement. This raises the question as to the reliability of readings after repeated usage. This device only indicates an approximate angle of travel but does not show the numerical distance to the right or left of a straight drive. To help a golfer with his training, the amount of deviation is vital.
A product sold under the U.S. trademark of "The Swing Groover" is another portable system available to improve a golfer's game. The purchased unit has no patent application number but the statement "U.S. and Foreign Patents Pending" appears on the package. This system has a golf ball tethered to an upright arm and the ball, when struck, is free to rotate about a fixed shaft. The system is to be used outdoors and the base is staked to the ground by 10" plastic stakes. Use of this system has shown that the stakes cannot maintain a firm hold on a grassy surface. After several swings the system must be reset since the centrifugal force is too great for the stakes. Another disadvantage is that a grassy surface must be available and this can cause a city resident some inconvenience. This system has no numerical readouts and the golfer has only an approximate feel for the quality of his hook or slice.